*Shelby*“Shelby, I didn’t hear you come in,” Micheal said softly.“Yeah, obviously,” I said in response, my eyebrows knitting together in concern.“Where would you like to go for dinner?” he asked, clearly trying to change the subject. “I have been wanting to try that barbeque place that is at the far end of the resort.”His phone started ringing in his pocket; he pulled it out, silenced it, and shoved it back into his pocket.“Who were you just talking to? It sounded pretty intense. Are they calling you again?” I asked, taking in Michael’s frustrated expression. I had heard him be stern over the phone before, usually with the higher-ups of his company, Express Air. However, I had never heard him so angry. He also never kept things from me. Usually, he would get off those phone calls and tell me exactly what was upsetting him. He would tell me the entire situation and ask for my opinion on how to respond to the situation. What was he hiding from me

*Michael**Earlier that morning*“How long have you made it a habit of sleeping with my friends?” Lauren’s voice sounded on the other end of the phone.My heart sank, and I took a few steps back to make sure Shelby was still on the deck reading. Fortunately, she was out of earshot of my conversation. “What are you talking about, Lauren?” I asked, fishing for more information.“I know you were hooking up with Shelby on the yacht. Leave it to that slut to not only ruin my engagement but also to sleep with my father,” Lauren said with disgust.“Lauren, your engagement fell apart because he was a cheater. It had nothing to do with Shelby.”“It had everything to do with Shelby; if she weren’t there, his entire focus would have been on me,” she continued in a whiny voice that always grated on my nerves.I sighed loudly and rubbed my temple. Lauren had been sending me texts all morning asking for money. I was glad that Shelby had decided to spend the a

*Michael*I sat bleary-eyed in my office on the very top floor of the Express Air building, waiting for my daughter to show up for our early morning meeting. I should have known she wouldn’t be on time. My receptionist walked in the door and silently set a cup of coffee on my desk.“Thank you, Anisa. I can’t tell you just how much I need this right now.”She simply nodded with a knowing smile and headed out the door without a single word.I hired her shortly after firing my previous assistant for judging Shelby based on how she dressed. My assistant had hand-selected Anisa out of all of the resumes. Anisa was returning to work after being a stay-at-home mom, fully raising five children. I liked her immediately during our interview and hired her on the spot. I took a sip of the burning hot coffee and closed my eyes. It had been a rough night trying to sleep on the jet back from Hawaii. I was sick about the way I left things with Shelby. I only managed to get a

*Shelby*“Oh, my God! Look at you,” Lin shouted as I walked through the front door. “You are so tan!” She squealed as she pulled me into a huge hug. I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed her back.“I missed you, Lin,” I said.“I missed you too. The apartment has felt so empty without you here,” she said, finally letting me out of the hug.“I bet; how long do you have until you have to leave to go see your family? I was worried that I wouldn’t catch you before you left,” I said, pulling my suitcase, which I’d abandoned in the hallway, into the apartment and shutting the door.“I decided to put that off for a few more days so I could spend some time with you before I go home,” Lin said, turning away from me and heading toward our living room. I knew she had done this on purpose to avoid looking me in the eye. “Lin, what do you mean you put it off? Isn’t your family expecting you? You told me your brother was coming this year and everything,” I sa

*Michael*As the doors opened and I exited the Express Air building, the cold air hit me in the face. I made my way across the slushy sidewalks to my car, which was already waiting for me. Bruce, the head of my security team, sat in the front seat, so I slid into the passenger seat next to him.“It is surprising to see you here, Bruce. I was expecting Lance or one of the other drivers today. It is nice to see you all the same.”“I sent Lance to pick up Shelby in Cambridge, sir. I didn’t think that it would be prudent to have her take the train on her own again, especially since circumstances have recently changed. I hope that is okay with you, sir.”“What do you mean circumstances have changed?” I asked, confused.“I just got word today that someone posted Blaine’s bail sometime last week. He has been out of jail this entire time,” Bruce responded.“Oh, I see,” I said, shocked. “Yes, that was a good decision on your part, Bruce. Thank you.”My head st